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Reaping wind power

You have to admire the resolve of our borough president. When James Molinaro - a most vocal advocate for Staten Island - believes in something, he doesn’t give up.

Nearly a decade ago, Mr. Molinaro said that installing a “wind farm” - an array of electricity-producing wind turbines - at the former Fresh Kills landfill would be a good way to produce safe and clean electricity.

He has been fighting ever since to overcome bureaucratic indifference to his forward-looking proposal.

So it’s no wonder the BP feels that Mayor Michael Bloomberg didn’t go far enough on Earth Day while issuing an update to “PlaNYC: A Greener, Greater New York.”

As part of a continuing effort to improve the environment, Mr. Bloomberg called for covering 250 of the city’s 3,000 acres of shuttered landfills with solar panels capable of powering up to 5,000 homes.

What about wind? asks Mr. Molinaro.

He is justifiably upset that his common-sense plan to try to exploit wind power at Fresh Kills has languished for several years - despite repeated attempts by Borough Hall to make progress on the issue of cheap energy.

“We have a plan in the drawer; it doesn’t make sense to ignore it and throw it away,” Mr. Molinaro says.

It’s estimated that seven wind turbines placed at the former landfill could produce 30 megawatts of electricity, enough to meet 6 percent of the Island’s energy needs.

According to the borough president, a New York State Energy Research and Development Agency-backed study demonstrates that a private company would be able to safely build and run a wind farm at Fresh Kills at no cost to taxpayers, under a lease agreement.

“It is so frustrating to me,” Mr. Molinaro said about the lack of necessary approvals from the state and city. “The people who should be on my side pushing this are preventing it. I think the mayor is not getting the right information.”

Branding as “not acceptable to me” the lack of focus on wind power in the PlaNYC update, the BP said that if the go-ahead were to be given today a wind farm could be generating power here within the next four years.

Mr. Molinaro says it has been determined that the high-tech towers would not puncture the environmental seal covering the trash mounds; nor would it be a significant threat to birds or bats, or create undue noise.

Besides, the turbines wouldn’t take up much room.

“Just look at one detail in the updated PlaNYC report,” urges Mr. Molinaro. “It states that at least 250 acres would be needed to generate 50 megawatts of solar power. The total foundation footprint for the seven wind turbines at the landfill, generating a maximum of 30 megawatts of power, would not even take up more than an acre of land.”

Then there is the fact that wind turbines function day and night all year long. Solar energy is only collected during the day and has seasonal limitations.

As we have said before, the plan to reap the wind at Fresh Kills ought to be fully examined without further delay. If it passes the needed reviews, it can finally proceed. Thanks in large part to Mr. Molinaro.